


Thoughts

by themadmaiden



Category: Portal (Video Game)
Genre: Stream of Consciousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-21
Updated: 2013-04-21
Packaged: 2017-12-09 03:08:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/769265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themadmaiden/pseuds/themadmaiden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>GLaDOS thinks about thinking.</p>
<p>Written before Portal 2 came out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thoughts

She is thinking.

She is  _always_ thinking.

Every minute, every second, faster than the human mind can even comprehend, she is constantly thinking. New ideas, old ideas, theories, solutions, questions, situations, fly through her mind at a rate that would drive a human insane.

She pauses briefly to wonder if it is possible for A.I’s to go insane. But she’s barely defined the word-

**_in·sane_ ** **_–adjective_ **

**_1._ ** _not sane; not of sound mind; mentally deranged. **2.** of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a person who is mentally deranged: insane    actions; an insane asylum.  **3.** utterly senseless: an insane plan._

-before she’s drawn to another thought.

It wasn’t as though she could only think of one thing at time. At any moment she would have innumerable thoughts running but her full attention went to one or two, even if those one or two would change rapidly.

Like now-

What motivation would make a test subject leap into a dark abyss?

_Cake_

**_Insanity_ **

_Does the type of cake matter?_

If you lose hope are you more susceptible to following instructions? Would it be worthwhile to find out?

_Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry…_

**_Insanity_ **

_Cake_

**-**

Thoughts

She is always thinking about something.

She can’t help it.

Even now. The Enrichment Centre is silent, save for the hum of machines.

She is running through the new data the last test subject has provided.

             _Heel springs need work_

It’s not very helpful, but every bit of information is needed.

_How long does it take a broken leg to heal? Is it worth the time to wait?_

She organizes and refreshes the new data. Fixing, designing and planning a better heel spring in a matter of moments.

             _Save the test subject for now_

She pauses for a brief moment as the test subject is repaired and put in its pod to heal. Is it thinking?  Or is there a nothingness that comes with the unconsciousness?

What would that be like?

             _Test subject should be left  to heal. Good time to fix leg springs._

**_-_ **

**_Insanity_ **

There is something close to a pause as she sends the new plans to be built.

For a moment she stops.

_stopthinkingstopthinkingstopthinkingstopthinkingstopthinking_

Or tries to

It’s harder then it seems. Maybe she wasn’t built to stop thinking.

             _She hadn’t been built with neurotoxin either._

Did AI’s need breaks, rests, hiatus, pause, stop thinking?

Did it matter?

A small noise went off, alerting her to the completion of the new heel springs. After a brief rearrangement she is getting the next test subject prepped.

_Would they make it past the jump this time?_

There wasn’t time for this. Thinking about thinking and not thinking.

Tests needed to be run.

_How many test subjects were left? Would she run out? Would they like the cake? Was insanity possible?_

She ignores that last thought.

A pause again though.

             _Stop thinking_

She places the test subject on standby. She needs to look over the test chambers. Have it ready. Double check the data on the portal gun to make sure she hadn’t missed anything she’d need to fix. Then after that...

Maybe she could take a break.

**_break –noun_ **

_A brief rest, as from work_

 

Maybe

She would think about it.

After all, she was always thinking.


End file.
